Fengmei Lian, PhD, from Guang'anmen Hospital in Beijing, and colleagues randomized 420 individuals with IGT to receive Tianqi or a placebo in a 1:1 ratio for 12 months. Lifestyle education was given to all subjects. To assess the development of diabetes, oral glucose tolerance tests were conducted every three months.

The researchers found that 18.18% of the Tianqi group and 29.32% of the placebo group had developed diabetes at the end of the trial (P=0.01). At the end of the study, 63.13% in the Tianqi group and 46.6% in the placebo group had normal glucose tolerance (P=0.001). Based on Cox's proportional hazards model analysis, there was a 32.1% reduction in the risk of diabetes with Tianqi versus placebo. There were no severe adverse events and no statistical differences in body weight and body mass index changes between the groups during the 12-month trial.

"Treatment with a Tianqi capsule for 12 months significantly decreased the incidence of T2DM in subjects with IGT, and this herbal drug was safe to use," the authors write.